Michigan State University Athletics
Saturday, May 2
Columbia, S.C.
4 PM
Michigan State University
1
vs
4
(13) South Carolina
Spartan Men’s Tennis Historic Season Comes To End In NCAA Tournament Saturday Against South Carolina
5/2/2026 10:06:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MSU downed by 13th-seeded Gamecocks, 4-1, to conclude one of most decorated and successful seasons and say farewell to Spartan seniors.
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Michigan State men's tennis had its historic season come to an end with a 4-1 loss to host and 13th-ranked South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday at the Carolina Outdoor Tennis Courts.
Michigan State had a historic 2026 season winning both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, for the first time since 1967.
The Spartans were nationally ranked at No. 16 in the ITA National Rankings, finished their historic season at 19-9 overall. The Gamecocks, whose national ranking matched its No. 13 seed, improved to 18-8 with the win, their second of the season, as Saturday's second-round match-up between the Spartans and Gamecocks was a rematch from Jan. 23 in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, when the then-14th-ranked South Carolina beat then-24th-ranked Michigan State, 4-2. South Carolina advances to its sixth-straight Super Regional, playing at No. 4 seed Virginia.
Saturday's doubles point came down to the final match at No. 1 doubles. USC's Lucas da Silva and Paul Barbier Gazeu slipped past senior Ozan Baris and sophomore Matthew Forbes, 7-5 at the No. 1 spot. The South Carolina team of Sean Daryabeigi and Max Stenzer won the first doubles match and No. 2 doubles over junior Taym Al-Azmeh and sophomore Mitchell Sheldon.
The duo of sophomore Daniel Rakhmatullayev and senior Aristotelis Thanos defeated Gabe Avram and Charlie Swaine in a tight match-up, 6-4, at No. 3 doubles.
In singles action, Stenzer put the Gamecocks up 2-0 with a straight-set win over Rakhmatullayev at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-1. USC increased its lead to 3-0 when Barbier Gazeu stopped No. 15 Forbes at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-2.
The Spartans got on the board at No. 3 singles, when Baris defeated Daryabeigi in straight-sets, 6-3, 7-5.
South Carolina clinched the victory at the No. 6 spot when Gabe Avram stopped Mitchell Sheldon, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Thanos' match vs. 14th-ranked da Silva of South Carolina went unfinished at 6-7, 4-2, while Al-Azmeh's match on the No. 5 court went unfinished against Atakan Karhan of USC, 3-6, 6-6.
The Spartans say farewell to their three seniors, Ozan Baris, Aristotelis Thanos and David Saye, who finished as one of the most successful senior classes in the recent era and in program history, in the last four years under head coach Harry Jadun.
Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan men's tennis team in the offseason on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter by following @MSU_MTennis.
Michigan State vs. (13) South Carolina
Columbia, S.C. (Carolina Tennis Center)
May 2, 2026
USC 4, MSU 1
Singles competition
1. #14 Lucas da Silva (SC) vs. #29 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-7, 4-2, unfinished
2. #85 Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) def. #15 Matthew Forbes (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. #43 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #73 Sean Daryabeigi (SC) 6-3, 7-5
4. Max Stenzer (SC) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Atakan Karahan (SC) vs. Taym Al-Azmeh (MSU) 6-3, 6-6, unfinished
6. Gabe Avram (SC) def. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles competition
1. #6 Lucas da Silva/Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) def. #38 Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU) 7-5
2. #65 Sean Daryabeigi/Max Stenzer (SC) def. Mitchell Sheldon/Taym Al-Azmeh (MSU) 6-4
3. Danial Rakhmatullaye/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Charlie Swaine/Gabe Avram (SC) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,2,3,6)
Michigan State had a historic 2026 season winning both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, for the first time since 1967.
The Spartans were nationally ranked at No. 16 in the ITA National Rankings, finished their historic season at 19-9 overall. The Gamecocks, whose national ranking matched its No. 13 seed, improved to 18-8 with the win, their second of the season, as Saturday's second-round match-up between the Spartans and Gamecocks was a rematch from Jan. 23 in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, when the then-14th-ranked South Carolina beat then-24th-ranked Michigan State, 4-2. South Carolina advances to its sixth-straight Super Regional, playing at No. 4 seed Virginia.
Saturday's doubles point came down to the final match at No. 1 doubles. USC's Lucas da Silva and Paul Barbier Gazeu slipped past senior Ozan Baris and sophomore Matthew Forbes, 7-5 at the No. 1 spot. The South Carolina team of Sean Daryabeigi and Max Stenzer won the first doubles match and No. 2 doubles over junior Taym Al-Azmeh and sophomore Mitchell Sheldon.
The duo of sophomore Daniel Rakhmatullayev and senior Aristotelis Thanos defeated Gabe Avram and Charlie Swaine in a tight match-up, 6-4, at No. 3 doubles.
In singles action, Stenzer put the Gamecocks up 2-0 with a straight-set win over Rakhmatullayev at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-1. USC increased its lead to 3-0 when Barbier Gazeu stopped No. 15 Forbes at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-2.
The Spartans got on the board at No. 3 singles, when Baris defeated Daryabeigi in straight-sets, 6-3, 7-5.
South Carolina clinched the victory at the No. 6 spot when Gabe Avram stopped Mitchell Sheldon, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Thanos' match vs. 14th-ranked da Silva of South Carolina went unfinished at 6-7, 4-2, while Al-Azmeh's match on the No. 5 court went unfinished against Atakan Karhan of USC, 3-6, 6-6.
The Spartans say farewell to their three seniors, Ozan Baris, Aristotelis Thanos and David Saye, who finished as one of the most successful senior classes in the recent era and in program history, in the last four years under head coach Harry Jadun.
Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan men's tennis team in the offseason on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter by following @MSU_MTennis.
Michigan State vs. (13) South Carolina
Columbia, S.C. (Carolina Tennis Center)
May 2, 2026
USC 4, MSU 1
Singles competition
1. #14 Lucas da Silva (SC) vs. #29 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-7, 4-2, unfinished
2. #85 Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) def. #15 Matthew Forbes (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. #43 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #73 Sean Daryabeigi (SC) 6-3, 7-5
4. Max Stenzer (SC) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Atakan Karahan (SC) vs. Taym Al-Azmeh (MSU) 6-3, 6-6, unfinished
6. Gabe Avram (SC) def. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles competition
1. #6 Lucas da Silva/Paul Barbier Gazeu (SC) def. #38 Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU) 7-5
2. #65 Sean Daryabeigi/Max Stenzer (SC) def. Mitchell Sheldon/Taym Al-Azmeh (MSU) 6-4
3. Danial Rakhmatullaye/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Charlie Swaine/Gabe Avram (SC) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,2,3,6)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
123
720
Lucas da Silva / 0 (14/-) [SC]
64UF
#2 Singles Match
12
52
Paul Barbier Gazeu / 0 (85/-) [SC]
76
#3 Singles Match
12
67
Sean Daryabeigi / 0 (73/-) [SC]
35
#4 Singles Match
12
31
Max Stenzer / 0 [SC]
66
#5 Singles Match
123
360
Atakan Karahan / 0 [SC]
66UF
#6 Singles Match
12
36
Gabe Avram / 0 [SC]
67
Order of Finish:
4,2,3,6
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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